Study Guide

Descriptions

Animation studies at the Degree Program in Fine Arts gives the student the firm basic skills and knowledge necessary for the job market in animation and hence the prerequisites for continuous development of professional skills and entrepreneurship. The program places a strong focus on the development of the students’ own artistic expression as well as professional practice and working life skills.

Visual arts are a prominent and powerful element of society. The strategic policies for the City of Turku, Southwest Finland and Turku University of Applied Sciences for 2015–2025 emphasize the role of the field of culture in improving the well-being, collectivity, competitiveness and appeal of the region. Art is part of good life.

Structure and content of program
Animation studies forms a unique combination in Fine art and Film and Media Programmes. Animation is a practice-oriented discipline, with a wide range of educational opportunities that allow students to make individual choices in their studies. The studies divide into Core Competence and Expanding Competence. Practical work is supported by theoretical studies that develop viewing skills and critical thinking. During feedback discussions with the teacher and group critique sessions and seminars, the students will be analyzing and assessing their own learning and progress.

The students have a versatile choice to build their own path towards the future profession. The student can choose a multidisciplinary degree with courses in multiple competence area of studies. Alternatively, the students can choose to focus on one competence area alone and deepen their skills through the various studies offered in that specialization.

The learning plan does not follow an annual distribution. Each student completes 60 ECTS per year out of the studies offered. The tutoring teacher helps the student prepare an annual individual study plan (ISP).
Core Competence generates in the following study modules
• Common Studies in Fine Art and Film and Media
• Professional Fine Art Studies

Expanding Competence generates in the following study modules
• Study Modules in Fine Art and Film and Media
• Internship
• Bachelor's Thesis
• Free-Elective Studies
• Project Studies

Animation studies base on working in practical learning environments. Working in a team and implementing projects are an integral part of the degree. To graduate into a media professional, the student develops many innovation competences. During the studies, emphasis is given on critical thinking, initiative, creativity, teamwork and networking. The degree also adapts annually according to new trends in working life.
During the studies, students collaborate with students in Fine Arts and Film and Media Program as well as with the whole Arts Academy and other students of the Turku University of Applied Sciences. Strong linkage to working life, including projects and training, creates good opportunities for up-to-date and work-oriented training, and provides opportunities for networking in the field of expertise already during the studies.

Success in studies requires the student to have good general education, self-initiative, ideas, creativity, interaction and teamwork skills, analytical skills, responsiveness and readiness to change.

Basic studies for animation students in Fine Art include art history and theory as well as workshops. In the Film and Media they are divided into language studies, expression studies, analysis studies, and Film and Media working environment studies.
Professional Studies enables the students to specialize in their chosen path of expertise. To widen their field of competence, the students can choose studies out of the Visual Arts or Film and Media study modules, or from the professional studies of another path of expertise, or from other degree studies, or foreign exchange studies. These studies can be either professional studies or free elective studies.

During the Internship, students become acquainted with the tasks of their professional field in a real work environment. Internships split over time into several parts.

In Project Studies, students apply their skills in practical work life projects, research and development projects and in their own productions.
Free-Elective Studies the students choose from the Turku University of Applied Sciences or through the provision of other educational institutions, or projects and working life.

The bachelor’s thesis, which will be completed during the fourth year, includes a research related to the themes or practices of the artistic work, and the independently produced artistic work itself. At the thesis seminars, students present their work in progress as well as its starting point, process and outcomes.

The students can demonstrate the skills acquired previously, or during the course of their studies, in the professional field and use these exterior learning experiences as a way to pass courses.

Objective

The objective of the degree program is to give the students the knowledge and skills to work in a professional capacity in the field of art and media and display their work in public. The graduates are well-versed in the phenomena of animation art, industry and history. They are able to analyze their own artistic practice in relation to artistic tradition and is familiar with artistic practices in regional, national and international contexts.
The animation studies help develop skills in animation expression and techniques. As far as possible, the students can emphasize different aspects of animation in their studies. During the selective professional studies, students orient and deepen their skills according to their own abilities and available courses in scriptwriting, directing and production management, motion graphics, 3D-animation and stop motion.
Training in professional animation productions provides technical skills to work in the field, and to familiarize oneself with the animation industry and production tasks. Individual student productions and various animation commissions offer an opportunity to deepen one’s skills.
The students are encouraged to make independent artistic choices and develop their capabilities to evaluate and analyze the artistic work of their own as well as others. The graduates will understand the potential for practicing and developing an artistic and creative profession in changing society. They will know how to apply their skills and communicate about it in different contexts.

They will recognize the social aspects of their work and are able to apply their skills in different types of projects and collaborate with regional, national and international partners. As artists, they will take ethical and aesthetic responsibility for their environment and are able to view the surrounding society through the methodologies of art.

Development

The Degree Program of Fine Arts is based on innovation pedagogy. In all studies, the student also develops in innovation competences. The innovation competencies defined by Turku University of Applied Sciences are in line with the European Qualifications Framework (EQF). Innovation Competences consist of individual, community and network knowledge, and cover the following five dimensions of expertise: critical thinking, initiative, creativity, teamwork, and networking. This means also that studying at the Turku University of Applied Sciences is self-directed and pragmatic. The amount of independent work increases towards the end of the studies as the role of the teacher becomes more facilitative.

Working in different groups is important. During the studies, students take part in multidisciplinary work, both in the media and in networking with other sectors.

Professional Studies and Project Studies in animation are closely linked to Audiovisual Production House “Karuselli”, which is a media learning environment that simulate professional practices. Research and development projects are an essential part of the studies. In these, students are networking with both working life and representatives of Finnish and international academic institutions. Students are also welcomed to join projects conducted in collaboration with international collaboration partners. International contacts can also be made through KUNO workshops, student exchange and international practical training. Real life business and work life assignments are also an essential part of media education.

Turku University of Applied Sciences supports entrepreneurship and encourages students to start their own businesses. The students also have the opportunity to study in other fields at the Turku University of Applied Sciences and extend their semester through studies during the summer months.

Further information

Assessment of teaching and learning is a continuous and comprehensive process. The quality levels of learning and teaching are assessed through feedback discussions, exercises, essays, reports, analyzes and exams. Feedback discussions also include peer review inside the group. There is a feedback system in the online learning environment that collects feedback, especially on the implementation of joint studies. Experts from outside the institution may also be used for the assessment.

Once a year there is a Feedback Day. Then, feedback material collected by the student groups is handled under the leadership of the Head of Education and Research. Teachers are also involved in the feedback session. An action plan is created based on the issues that have been dealt with and discussed in the Feedback Day.

Evaluation of the courses is on a scale of 1 – 5. Some of the credits are evaluated on a scale Approved - Rejected. When using the Approved - Rejected -scale, the Implementation Plan determines which grade level the approved performance matches.